Wayne County, New York

County Distress Index: Normal · 44.7 | 90,829 people · 44th most distressed in New York
American Default Research

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Wayne County, NY falls within the normal range for household financial distress at 44.7 — 2015th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Employment & Wages, where unemployment is elevated, wages are low relative to housing costs, and business formation lags. Within New York, it ranks 44th of 62 counties. Among its 4 neighboring counties, 3 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Wayne County's primary driver is Employment & Wages at 75.4 — worse than roughly 75% of U.S. counties.

Employment & Wages Primary driver 75.4
Unemployment Rate 45
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 88
Business Formation Rate 93
Housing Cost Burden 60.8
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 66
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 70
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 65
Homeownership Rate 19
Rent-to-Income Ratio 84
Income & Poverty 31.8
Poverty Rate 29
Income vs. State Median 35
Child Poverty Rate 32
Community Vulnerability 31.4
Uninsured Rate 26
Disability Rate 37
Debt & Delinquency 24.3
Debt in Collections 38
Medical Debt 7
Student Loan Delinquency 26
Auto Loan Delinquency 31
Credit Card Delinquency 28
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 17

Scores are percentile-based: 50 = national median, higher = more distressed. The median line is shown on each bar.

Neighbors and Peers

How Wayne County compares to its 4 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Wayne County
Wayne County, NY 44.7 Normal —
Seneca County, NY 60.6 Elevated +15.9
Monroe County, NY 47.9 Normal +3.2
Cayuga County, NY 45.3 Normal +0.5
Ontario County, NY 38.3 Normal -6.5

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Wayne County
Nevada County, CA 44.8 Normal +0.0
Marquette County, MI 44.8 Normal +0.1
Douglas County, KS 44.9 Normal +0.1
Rutland County, VT 44.9 Normal +0.1
Skagit County, WA 44.6 Normal -0.1

Download Data

Export all distress indicators for Wayne County as a CSV file.

Find Help in Wayne County

Find an Attorney

New York State Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service offers a lawyer referral service for bankruptcy, foreclosure defense, and consumer rights.

New York State Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service 1-800-342-3661

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving Wayne County residents at no cost.

Legal Services NYC 1-917-661-4500
Legal Aid Society 1-212-577-3300
Empire Justice Center 1-585-454-4060
Legal Aid Society of Northeastern New York 1-800-462-2922
Legal Aid Society of Mid-New York, Inc. (877) 777-6152
Legal Assistance of Western New York, Inc. (585) 325-2520
Legal Services of the Hudson Valley (877) 574-8529
Nassau/Suffolk Law Services Committee, Inc. (631) 232-2400
Neighborhood Legal Services, Inc. (716) 847-0650

Self-Help Resources

NYCourts.gov Foreclosure Help Official court system page with information about the foreclosure process, settlement conferences, and available resources. Includes court forms and instructions for pro se litigants.
LawHelp NY — Foreclosure Resources Comprehensive self-help legal information portal for New York residents. Includes foreclosure guides, court form generators, and legal services finder organized by county.

American Default Research does not endorse, rate, or rank any provider. Verify attorney credentials with your state bar.

Need legal help? Find a foreclosure defense attorney in New York →

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Wayne County, New York?

    Wayne County has a County Distress Index score of 44.7 out of 100, placing it in the Normal zone. It ranks 2,015th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 44th in New York out of 62 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Wayne County?

    The primary driver of distress in Wayne County is Employment & Wages, where the county scores 75.4 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Unemployment Rate, Wage-to-Rent Ratio, Business Formation Rate.

  • How does Wayne County compare to neighboring counties?

    Wayne County (44.7) can be compared to its 4 neighboring counties: Seneca County, NY (60.6); Monroe County, NY (47.9); Cayuga County, NY (45.3).

  • How is the County Distress Index calculated?

    The County Distress Index uses percentile-rank averaging across five domains: Debt & Delinquency, Income & Poverty, Housing Cost Burden, Employment & Wages, and Community Vulnerability. Each county's indicators are ranked against all 3,144 U.S. counties. A score of 50 means the county is at the national median; higher scores indicate greater distress.

  • What is the population of Wayne County?

    Wayne County, New York has a population of approximately 90,829 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.